Columbus Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness questioned his players’ commitment to winning after an uninspired season-ending loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
“Just look at the stat sheet: Three hits, 23 giveaways. I don’t know if I’m back, but if I’m back, I’m changing this culture. These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them. How can you go out and play like that?” Bowness said.
The Jackets were eliminated from playoff contention Monday when the Philadelphia Flyers secured third place in the Metro Division. Bowness called their effort in the 2-1 loss to Washington — in what might have been Capitals star Alex Ovechkin’s final game, pending a decision on retirement — “terrible and inexcusable” by his standards.
“If they’re not embarrassed by tonight, by that, they’re on the wrong team,” Bowness said.
The loss capped one of the most frustrating stretches in franchise history for Columbus. The Blue Jackets won only twice in their last 11 games (2-8-1), plummeting from a playoff seed. It was a stunning reversal of fortune for Bowness, 70, who started 10-1-0 in his first 11 games after coming out of retirement to replace Dean Evason on Jan. 12. Columbus finished with a record of 40-30-12 (.561 points percentage).
“I should have done this about a month ago, but this is why we are where we are. This is why we’re out of the playoffs. That kind of effort,” Bowness said. “You have to hate losing. I don’t care if it’s a meaningless game. I don’t care. Show up and compete.”
Bowness said his team wilted in the pressure of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
“Because it got tough. Because it got hard. Like we talked about after the Olympic break: It’s going to get harder. So everything’s good as long as it’s going their way. And now it gets tough and we don’t want to battle back,” he said. “We’re going to change that. Some of those guys are so lucky the season’s over and there’s no practice tomorrow.”
Columbus hasn’t qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2020. Since entering the league in the 2000-01 season, the Jackets have advanced past the first round of the playoffs only once.
Bowness said he would discuss his future with GM Don Waddell.
“The players were told tonight: If I’m back, we’re changing this freaking culture,” he said.
